Improvement in car-couplings



PATENT OFFICE nnoon P. TERRELL,

or HARPER, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 153,398, dated July 21, 1874; application filed March 28, 1874.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ENOCH P. TERRELL, of Harper, in the county of Logan and State of Ohio, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Oar-Couplers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,

and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings are representation ofsections of my car-coupling. Fig. 2 is a plan view, and Fig. 4 an end view, of the same.

This invention has relation to automatic car-couplers; and it consists in a gravitating hooked coupler having its interior surface longitudinally concave, so that it may nicely adapt itself to the convex interior surface of the end of a couplinglink, and allow the outer end of said link to be elevated or depressed,

thereby adapting said outer end to be received into a draw-bar, differing in height, of an approaching car, which is pivoted to cars on the draw-bar and arranged to drop into a slot which is back of the mouth of the said bar, in combination with a lip or shoulder, which is formed on the coupler and adapted to support it in an upright position, as will be hereinafter explained.

In the annexed drawings, A designates a draw-bar, having a flaring mouth, a, back of which is a recess for receiving a coupler, G, and a link, B. This draw-bar is also constructed with a front shoulder, b, and a rear shoulder, 8, shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The front shoulder b of this draw-bar serves as a support for the coupling-link. G designates the coupler, which is connected to two cars, ff, on the top of the draw-bar, by means of a horizontal transverse pivot, e, which allows the coupler to assume the two positions indicated by Figs. 1 and 2. This coupler has a hooked portion 0 formed on one side of it, and a lip, cl, formed on theoppositeside, which latter terminates in a flat end, 61. The chain for lifting the coupler to release the link B will be attached to an eye, 9, on the free end of this coupler.

When the coupler is in the position shown in Fig. 1, and the end of a link, B, is thrust into the draw-bar A, the hook 0 will be moved back until the end of the link passes beneath it when it will fall forward against the shoulder or stop I). To uncouple, it is only necessary to raise the coupler until the hook 0 passes above the link. If, after uncoupling, it is desired to move cars together without coupling them, the coupler O is adjusted in an upright position, shown in Fig. 2, in which position it will be sustained by the flat end d of the lip 61 resting on the flat surface 2' of the draw-bar.

I am well aware that the patent of John H.

Burrell, Jr., dated January 20,1874, No. 146,-

650, shows a similar coupling-arm, and therefore I do not claim such invention broadly; but

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The gravitating pin 0, having the supporting-surface d and the hooked part c, the lat ter concave on the interior surface thereof to adapt itself to the convex interior surface of the end of a coupling-pin, in combination with the front shoulder b of the draw-bar, thereby permitting a vertical hinge-like movement to be given to said link, as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

ENOOH PROVOLT TERRELL.

Witnesses:

N. H. J oNEs, J OHN SHURR. 

